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Application Feedback

Due to the large volume or requests, we are unable to offer individualized feedback to applicants until the summer. The following information addresses common suggestions we give to applicants who request feedback and wish to reapply.

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The following information addresses common suggestions we give to applicants who request feedback and wish to reapply. We suggest you review your application with the following categories in mind:

Academic Background

The Admissions Committee looks for a strong undergraduate academic record, especially in the areas relevant to the core curriculum, such as political science and/or economics. They look for strong grades (in the American grading system, a grade of A or B) in courses that demonstrate writing skills and quantitative skills.

Quantitative Background

The committee looks for evidence of the candidate's ability to handle quantitative coursework since the degree's core requirements include economics and statistics. If you do not have a strong background in this area you might want to consider taking additional economics or statistics coursework before you reapply. You may take these courses at any university, college, or community college that is convenient, and please take them soon enough, so that you can include a transcript with your future application.

Career Goals

Your essay should provide us with sufficient information about your professional objectives and their connection to the programs offered at the School of International and Public Affairs. While we understand that not every student has come to a clear decision about his or her future plans, your application will be improved if we have some understanding of your career goals. If your essay does not clearly describe your intended career plans, we suggest rewriting your essay to provide more information about your professional ambitions and why you have chosen this professionally-oriented policy program rather than another type of graduate school to pursue those goals. It is also important that your essay explains how your prior professional and volunteer experiences have contributed to your career plans. You should explain clearly what role you played in the organizations where you have worked or volunteered in the past, what skills you developed, and how they have prepared you for a career in your chosen specialization within International Affairs. Please note that “International Affairs” is not a specific enough designation for your career goals. It is an umbrella term for a great variety of specific careers.

Professional Experience

The Committee looks for the professional level, relevant work and/or volunteer experience in your fields of interest. The average SIPA student has 3 to 5 years of post-undergraduate relevant work or volunteer experience. But this does not imply that all students fall within the same range. Accepted applicants ranged from students straight from undergraduate institutions to professionals with 30 years of experience. Students admitted directly from undergraduate study usually have summer work, internships, or volunteer work that is directly related to their career choices. Generally, the shorter the duration of work experience, the more directly it must be related to the applicant’s chosen field of interest. If you feel that the lack of professional experience is a weakness for you, you may want to gain more experience before you reapply or see the above category for suggestions on how to rewrite your essay to explain how your prior professional and volunteer experiences have contributed to your career plans.

TOEFL/IELTS/PTE

International students whose first language is not English and whose bachelor’s degree was not earned at an institution where English is the primary language of instruction, must demonstrate proficiency in English with a TOEFL score of at least 100, an IELTS score of at least 7.0, or a PTE score of at least 68. If your score is below this minimum, there is concern that you may have difficulty understanding lectures and preparing written assignments. You may want to consider intensive English training before you retake the TOEFL/IELTS/PTE and reapply.